Only hatred, bereavement, pain, and desire for revenge will come out of Gaza op

B. Michael|Published: 29.12.08 , 16:47

There it is again, the cyclical “déjà vu war.” That same ceremonial bloodshed that again is being poured into the hot lava that has been leading the entire region to misery for dozens of years now.

To be honest, one is fatigued by the need to divide the seventh day of the Six-Day War
into “operations,” “wars,” “battles,” “operations,” and “campaigns.” All of them constitute one ongoing war; one great butcher shop. The war of occupier against occupied, and the war of the occupied against the occupier.

And again we hear all the great words about courage, surprise, sophistication, and success. Yet the nature of the “surprise” we delivered against Hamas
isn’t quite clear. I mean, did the group fail to deploy its airplanes? Did it fail to advance its armored corps in advance? Did it fail to deploy its Patriot missile batteries?

Moreover, and there is no need to deny this, there is not too much glory and valor involved in flying over a giant prison and firing at its people using helicopters and fighter jets. So far we have seen sophistication and success mostly in the excited commentary of dozens of generals (res.) who again enjoy the limelight. As always.

Yet out of all the big words, as usual, we see a small and ugly truth emerging: Our southern cities have been hit by dozens of missiles, while Gaza sustained hundreds of dead. Almost half of them are civilians; almost half of them are the graduates of a police course who have nothing to do with Qassam rockets.

Yet we have seen this bleeding folly time and again. After all, this was precisely the way Israel
conducted itself during the terrible years of the Intifada. After every terrible attack by Palestinian groups, Israel bombed a police station or office of facility belonging to the Palestinian Authority, to the point where the PA lost its power and status, allowing Hamas to rise to power on its ashes.

So who are we crowning now in the framework of our desire not to disappoint our angry masses?

Only hatred, bereavement, pain, and desire for revenge will come out of this operation, both here and there. Perhaps someone will gain a few Knesset seats too. Indeed, this is so tiring, and so bleak.